Second Chance
by AverageTeenager
Summary: What happens when Gale is given another opportunity to tell Katniss what he wanted her to remember that day in the justice building before she left for the Hunger Games.


**A/N: Hey guys! I've been quite the busy person lately and wanted everyone to know I'm back! Hehe, I took a break from my other Hunger Games fanfic "We Can Make It" because I'm all out of ideas! If you could read that and review, that would be nice. For those wondering I ship Gale and Katniss! So here's a short one-shot I thought of this morning for all you Galeniss lovers, enjoy!**

**Takes place during Catching Fire, Gale never kissed Katniss and she's been home about a week or so.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games in any way, shape, or form, if so Galeniss would be endgame and I wouldn't be posting this.**

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><p><strong>Second Chance<strong>

_"Katniss! Katniss! Help me!" I hear a tiny voice and try to follow. When I reach her she is tangled in a net which means there's little to no time to get her out and run. I start to cut the net when I realize the voice isn't who I thought; it's actually my sister, my Prim. "Katniss he's coming for me!" I try to speak to her but nothing comes out. Who would want to hurt my sweet Prim? I still don't know whose she's talking about until a grotesque scent fills my nose. A smell that I can recognize from a mile away; a smell that only belongs to one person. I try to yell at Prim to run after I cut her free. Run as fast as she can and never look back. But no words escape me. The odor becomes much stronger now and I'm practically gasping for air when I see him. He doesn't say anything to me; he just strikes one of his devious smiles and takes a knife to my sister's throat._

I'm trashing so intensely in my bed at this point that the bang I make when I fall to the floor awakes me. My nightmares have been getting worse and worse as the days go on. I kick the sheets off of me and run downstairs to put my boots and jacket on and am out the door in seconds. Regardless of the pouring rain I don't stop running until I reach my house, my _real_ house. Not the Capitol made one I live in now, which I don't even consider a house, but the one I was raised in. The one that has some of the best and worst memories I could remember. When I get to the door I slowly open it because the footprints in the mud lead me to the realization someone else has been here, and I don't mean Buttercup. I step through what used to be my living room and head to the kitchen where I spot a familiar figure. I stop right there because they're mumbling to themselves, and I want to hear every word. "….you changed. I guess I shouldn't have expected you to come back the same way you left, as much as I wanted you to. I thought when you got back we could pick things up where they left off. But I was wrong, so terribly, terribly wrong. Things changed now and I know I lost my chance." He bangs his fist on the table and startles me, making me jump back and bang into the couch. "Hello? Is someone there?" I know I can't hide any longer and I show myself. "Katniss? How long have you been listening?"

"Long enough," I reply. I take a seat across from him at my kitchen table. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I come here now and then, believe it or not it has some great memories," I smile a little at this, "of our families, the kids, even of us." Gale looks me right in the eye now.

"You were right," I respond.

"About what?" he gives me a quizzical look.

"Me, changing."

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have expected you to come back the same. You're a sixteen year old girl who just won the Hunger Games; of course you were going to change."

"I miss you," I say bluntly, because it's true. I'm not used to being away from Gale so long and I don't think he understands how much I worry about him now that he's in the mines. He gets up and pulls me into a tight embrace, one I've missed so much. He smells of the woods and of home.

"I know Catnip, I've missed you too. " I wonder what Gale was thinking while watching me in the games. There was never anything romantic between us but I can't help but ponder what his thoughts were on the whole star-crossed lovers thing. I led him to the couch where I rested my head on his shoulder. "I never doubted you, you know," Gale says. I look up at him, wanting him to continue. "As soon as you left I knew it wouldn't be for long."

"Why's that?" I say.

"Because, you're the strongest person I've ever met and you made a promise to Prim, you would never break a promise to her," The second part of that is true, but me, the strongest person he knows? Of course I've had my brave moments like stepping up as the provider of my family when my father died but Gale's courage is nothing compared to mine. "When I saw you the day you left, before the peacekeepers took me away from you, I could see the determination in your eyes, the strength and willing to do whatever it takes," It's true, Gale can read my expressions better than anyone else. But then I remember what happened before the peacekeepers ripped him from my grasp, he told me to kill people, get an arrow, and to remember-well I'm not really sure what he wanted me to remember.

"Gale, you never got to finish what you were saying that day."

"What?"

"Before you were taken away from me, you said to remember something. What was it you wanted me to remember?"

"Oh really it's not that important anymore," he says flatly.

"Just tell me," I was curious now. Gale shifts positions so we are facing each other. He looks me straight in the eye, takes my face in his hands and presses his lips to mine. At first I'm a little shocked. Gale, my best friend of four years, likes me? My thoughts confused me but there's one thing I do know for sure; I wanted to kiss him back. My body moves faster than my brain and I realize I'm already kissing him. I consider this my first real kiss since my ones with Peeta were instructed by Haymitch. This is the first time I want to kiss someone out of my own free will. Gale slowly pulls away and tilts my face up so I'm looking at him. He smiles slightly and says,

"Remember Katniss, I love you."

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><p><strong>Yay happy ending ! Did you love it? Did it make you go "awwwwwwweeee" ? Let me know in your review ! I wanted this to be a one shot but if I get 987464513187 reviews on continuing, then I might make it a two-shot :) <strong>

**~AverageTeenager**


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